Mi’kmaq take control of moose harvest on Hunter’s Mountain

The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs and the group representing anglers and hunters worked together over the past year to give Mi’kmaq a measure of control over the nonlicensed moose harvest in Cape Breton.

Last October, We’koqma’q Chief Rod Googoo, the assembly’s lead chief for lands, wildlife and forestry, called on the province to step up enforcement on Hunter’s Mountain in Victoria County, west of Baddeck, after discovering what he called a “free-for-all.”

Non-native hunters from Nova Scotia and some from Newfoundland claiming Mi’kmaq status were illegally hunting moose, Googoo said, and many were not following Mi’kmaq guidelines established in 2010 to maintain a sustainable moose population.

Some were using questionable identification cards or were simply claiming federal Indian status, he said, urging enforcement officials to accept only a status card issued by one of Nova Scotia’s 13 Mi’kmaq bands.

The Department of Natural Resources, which regulates hunting in the province, said last year it would meet with the assembly and the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters, but would not commit to any action until consulting with the Mi’kmaq.

Earlier this week, the assembly issued a community notice saying the province had agreed to its request for increased enforcement and that Nova Scotia band status cards would be the only ID accepted as of Aug. 15.

Googoo could not be reached for comment Thursday, and no one from the Department of Natural Resources or Environment, which enforces DNR hunting regulations, responded to a request for comment.

However, Allison Bernard, moose management co-ordinator for the Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn Negotiation Office, said he was pleased to hear enforcement has already been stepped up this week.

The Mi’kmaq have a right to hunt regardless of seasons enforced on non-natives by the province, but their own guidelines suggest hunting should wait for cooler fall weather, said Bernard.